A successful business journey to online retail, Jack Lim grew his business from the ground up. Exploring the world of e-Commerce, he started his journey selling baby products to an online audience. It took off well, and now he has expanded into more diverse consumer goods. Just goes to show, in today’s society combined with the internet, anything is possible. Now OTYS Trading is a proud store on Lazada, one of the largest e-commerce platforms in Malaysia.
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How did you start this business, what’s the story?
I was working with a traditional wholesale and retail company for 5 years. During that time, I found that the business did not need to focus on local areas alone, it could turn national or even international with the internet nowadays. So, I decided to start up my own company by first focusing on selling baby products online. I was worried at first since online shopping in Malaysia was not as popular as it was in other countries. However, when the orders kept coming daily, I was confident that this could be a big chance for my business to grow rapidly.
What is the biggest challenge in your business?
The biggest challenge for us would be the competition on the various online shopping platforms. Since there are more and more businesses joining the e-commerce industry, we need to always keep an eye on the prices in order to maintain our customers. In order to stand out from our competitors, we need to ensure that our packaging is good and that we are very responsive to our customers.
How does your day to day job look like?
In the morning, I manage the online orders and try my best to make sure there are no errors in packaging and shipping. After that, I record my stock and place orders to my supplier, if necessary. Courier services come to pick up all the orders in the evening. In the midst of all this, I respond to customer enquiries and try to satisfy their needs and enquiries.
How can financing help you in your business?
It can help us purchase more diverse products to meet customer needs. It also provides extra funds for us to promote our online shop on different platforms and allows us to join different campaigns to boost sales.
During the early stage, how did it feel to self-finance every aspect of your business?
It was hard to self-finance in the early stages since most of the suppliers would only accept cash on or before delivery for a new business. It is hard to get a different range of products without capital. We also needed to be very careful in product choice and avoid ‘no return’ products, as some suppliers do not accept returns of goods.
What do you see your business in 3 years’ time?
In 3 years’ time, I would like to expand my customer segment from Malaysia to Southeast Asia. Also, I hope that we focus on not just baby products, but a wide range of consumer goods.
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